The present invention generally relates to disk drives and, more particularly, to a disk drive which includes a multifunctional push-pin hole in that this hole may be used for servo writing on a data storage disk(s) disposed within a disk drive and also may be used for mounting a disk drive filter, such as an integrated chemical filter.
Disk drives typically include a base plate and a cover which is detachably connected with this base plate to define an at least substantially enclosed space for housing various disk drive components. One or more data storage disks are mounted on a spindle which is interconnected with the base plate and/or cover so as to allow the data storage disk(s) to rotate relative to both the base plate and cover via a spindle motor. An- actuator arm assembly (e.g., a single actuator arm, a plurality of actuator arms, an E block with a plurality of actuator arm tips), is interconnected with the base plate and/or cover by an appropriate bearing or bearing assembly so as to allow the actuator arm assembly to pivot relative to both the base plate and cover in a controlled manner. A suspension or load beam may be provided for each data storage surface of each data storage disk (typically each disk has two of such surfaces). All suspensions are appropriately attached to and extend away from the actuator arm assembly in the direction of the data storage disk(s). A transducer, such as a read/write head, is disposed on the free end of each suspension for purposes of exchanging signals with the corresponding data storage disk. The position of the actuator arm assembly and thereby each transducer is controlled by a voice coil motor or the like which pivots the actuator arm assembly to dispose the transducer(s) at the desired radial position relative to its corresponding data storage disk.
Each data storage disk has a plurality of concentrically disposed tracks that are available for data storage. These tracks are formed on the data storage disk(s) after they have been enclosed in the space between the cover and base plate. One way in which this has been done in the past is by including a push-pin hole on the base plate of the disk drive. Formation of the tracks on the data storage disk(s) of the disk drive entails directing a push-pin through this push-pin hole in the disk drive base plate and into engagement with the actuator arm assembly. This push-pin is part of a servo writer which moves the push-pin in a controlled manner to a position where the actuator arm assembly is disposed in a certain position for writing a track on the disk(s) at a specific radial location on the disk(s) via the relevant read/write head. After each of the tracks have been created in this general manner, the push-pin is withdrawn from the push-pin hole. A piece of tape is then typically applied over (not within) the push-pin hole on the exterior surface of the base plate so as to mechanically seal the push-pin hole.
Various types of filters have been utilized and/or proposed for disk drives. Known disk drive filters address one or more of particulates, chemical vapors, and moisture/humidity. None of these filters have been installed in any known disk drive using the above-noted push-pin hole.
The present invention is embodied in a disk drive that includes a disk drive base plate with a push-pin hole. A filter is preferably removably disposed in this push-pin hole. That is, the filter may be positioned in the push-pin hole at one time (e.g., during normal disk drive operations), and may be removed from the push-pin hole at another time (e.g., during at least a portion of the assembly of the disk drive, such as for servo writing operations).
Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in the present invention as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. The disk drive may include various other components, such as at least one data storage disk, a motor or the like for rotating each data storage disk (e.g., a spindle motor), an actuator arm assembly (e.g., a single actuator arm, a plurality of actuator arms, an E block with a plurality of actuator arm tips), a motor for moving the actuator arm assembly relative to the data storage disk(s) (e.g., a voice coil), at least one suspension which extends from the actuator arm assembly, and a transducer for each suspension which exchanges signals with its corresponding data storage disk for read/write to operations.
Each data storage disk utilized by the disk drive is disposed in spaced relation to the disk drive base plate. Multiple data storage disks would typically be disposed in a stack in vertical alignment with each other. Therefore, the perimeter of each data storage disk would also be similarly vertically aligned. The projection of this typically circular perimeter onto the disk drive base plate (e.g., a perpendicular extension from the data storage surface of the xe2x80x9clowermostxe2x80x9d disk) may be characterized as defining a first region on the base plate. In one embodiment the entirety of the push-pin hole is disposed in this first region. Another way of characterizing the relative position of the push-pin hole, and thereby the filter as well, is that the push-pin hole and filter may be disposed xe2x80x9cdirectly underxe2x80x9d the data storage disk or the data storage disk stack in the case of a multiple data storage disk arrangement. In one embodiment, this filter is an integrated chemical filter that provides a chemical filtering function and a moisture/humidity control/reduction function as well.
The push-pin hole may assume a variety of configurations. In one embodiment, the push-pin hole is at least generally elliptical. The push-pin hole may also be characterized as including a pair of spaced apart ends which correspond with a length dimension of the push-pin hole, and as further including a pair of spaced apart sides which interconnect these ends and which correspond with a width dimension of the push-pin hole. In one embodiment, the magnitude of the width dimension of the push-pin hole increases when proceeding from each of the noted ends toward a midpoint between these spaced ends. In another embodiment, the noted sides of the push-pin hole are disposed in non-parallel relation. In yet another embodiment, the noted sides of the push-pin hole are disposed in parallel relation. Preferably, the maximum noted width dimension of the push-pin hole is less than the maximum noted length dimension of the push-pin so as to not significantly adversely affect the mechanical stiffness of the disk drive base plate.
The filter associated with the present invention provides a filtering function by allowing for the passage of a fluid flow therethrough in some manner. One way of characterizing this filter is that the filter purposefully allows for the flow of a fluid through an appropriate filtering material. In one embodiment, the filter provides this function by utilizing a filtering material or medium which allows for an airflow of at least about 10-15 cc/minute. Typically the filter will include a housing having at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet with an appropriate filtering material being disposed therebetween.
The filter associated with the present invention may be an integrated chemical filter. These types of filters generally filter gaseous constituents and also may reduce/control the moisture content of air passing through the filter (e.g., the humidity of the airflow). The filter will then typically include an appropriate filtering material, such as charcoal. In one embodiment, a minimum amount of this filtering material is about 200 milligrams, and in another embodiment this minimum amount is about 400 milligrams. Another way of characterizing the size of the filter is the volume of a space within a filter housing which is available for storing an appropriate filtering material and which will typically vary based upon the volume of the enclosed space within the disk drive. The filter associated with the present invention may also provide an acoustic reduction function. In one embodiment, the sound intensity on the top of the push-pin hole is about 45 decibels with the filter being disposed within the push-pin hole and during normal disk drive operations (e.g., with the data storage disk(s) being rotated at a velocity of at least about 5,400 RPM), in comparison to about 52 decibels in the same operation condition, but using a conventional single function prior art push-pin hole with a piece of tape disposed over this push-pin hole.